Self-closing latch



M. W. FISCHER.

SELF CLOSING LATCH.

APPLICATION man on. 4. i921.

Patehted May 30, 1922.

INVENTOR .fl FL S b r ,4 I I 6 1 TORNEYS UNITED h'l'ATEti PATENT OFFICE.

MAX W. FISCHER, OF PUB/PLANE, OREGON, ASSIGNOR T0 GILLEN-COLE 00.,INCORPO- RATED, 0]? P03 TLANTD, GREGON.

SELF-CLOSING LATCH.

ii. li ll 'ii t'ilfi. Specification 0 Application filed October To oil'-w/zom it may concern:

lie it known that i, Max W. Fisoirnn, a citizen of the United States,residing at Portland, in the county of ll lultnoinah and State o 1Oregon, have invented a new and linprm'ed Sell? losing Latch, of whichthe following a specification.

i.his invention has reference to improve ments in latch mechanisms andmore particularly to self-closing latches designed tor being operativelymounted on refrigerator doors, fire doors. gas house doors or any otherhinge doors where it is necessary that the doors close tightly againstthe door frame or jamb, automatically.

Primarily my invention seeks to provide an improved construction oi"self-closing door latch, oi a simple and inexpensive construction. inwhich the parts are conveniently arranged, durable, eiiicient, and whichcan be economically made and readily assembled to their operativeconnection with the door and door frame.

With other minor objects in view and hereinafter apparent, my inventionconsists oi a door latch oi the general character mentioned thatembodies the general construction and combination of parts fullyexplained in the following detailed description, specifically pointedout in the appended. claim and illustrated in the tiCC()ii1} J2ll1"Y-inn drawing, in which:

Figure l is a face view of my improved door latch, the same being shownoperatively applied to a portion of a swinging" doorand an adjacentFrame portion.

Figure 2 is a plan view thereof with a part of the door and door trainathe latter being shown partly in horizontal section and at an openposition in dotted lines.

in the practical development of my invention. the same includes a latchpost 1 of peculiar design that is mounted on the door Frame or jainb 9and with which the latch bolt 41; cooperates in the manner presentlyexplained.

designates a frame and it has cars which receive lag screws 8 thatsecure the said Frame to the swinging door 11 and the said latch post 1has a base portion 10 that is provided with ears through which pass lagbolts 80 that secure the said post to the door jamb, as shown.

The latch bolt frame 5 has a pair of outwardly projected brackets 56,the rear f Letters Patent Patented May 30, 1922.

4-, 1921. Serial ll'o..505,428.

one of which has an which the inner end ireely passes.

The outer end of the bolt 4 terminates in a bifurcated head 40, theinner or solid portion of which passes through an elongated slot 58 inthe outer bracket 55, such connection of the bolt and the bracket 55operating to hold the bolt 4- from rotation within its bearing, as it islongitudinally reciprooated through the said brackets 55-56 in themanner presently explained.

7 designates a cotter key that engages the inner end oi the bolt 4 andthe adjacent face of the bearing 56.

A stout coil spring 6 is mounted around the bolt 4- with one endengaging the outer bracket 56 and the other or outer end held againstthe inner end 41 of the bolt head -l0, as shown, it being understoodthat the tension oi the said spring 6 tends to normally force the bolt loutwardly to a latching position.

A roller latch 2 is journalled, on a cross bolt, in the bifurcated endof the bolt head, and clearly shown in the drawing, the said rollerlatch 2 is so positioned relatively to the flange edge 12 of the doorthat it at all times projects some distance beyond the said door edgeand for moving into engagement with the latch post 1 when the door isswung to its closing position.

The latch post 1, before mentioned. includes an outer beveled bearingface or track 13 that is disposed at such angle relatively to the faceof the door so as to cause the latch bolt 4-, when brought into contactwith the said face 13, to slideinwardly through its bearings 55-56during the action of closing the door.

The latch post 1 is also provided with an inner bearingface or trackway14 which face is disposed at an angle of approximately e175 to the faceof the door frame or janib and at the outer end the said trackway l-lmerges with the inner end of the other beveled face or trackway 13.

As is apparent fromv Figure 2 of the drawing, when. the door is closed(from the dotted line position) the latch roller 2 engages the beveledouter bearing face 18 and thereby causes the bolt to slide backtl'irough the bearing apertures in the brackets 5556. thereby storingtension in the spring 6 as the bolt is thus shifted.

aperture 57 through of the latch bolt 4 construction, the manner ofoperation and ,of the spring outwardly along the outwardly beveled faceAs the roller latch 2 passes inwardly beyond the base of the bearingface 13, the tension of the spring 6 forces the said bolt and the rollerlatch 2 outwardly in the direction of the arrow 40 on Figure 2 of thedrawing and into a tight latching engagement with the inwardly inclinedbearing face 14 of the latch bolt 4.

The angle of the face 14- and the tension of the spring 6, and thelatching end of the bolt being in the nature of a roller, provides for aconstant outward pressure of the latch roller against the bearing track14 and at the same time causes the said latch roller to travel inwardlyin the direction of the arrow y and thereby tends to hold the doorflange 12 to a tightly closedposition. V The tension of the spring 6moves the latch bolt in the forward limit of travel which limit is fixedby the cotter key connection 7 and the rear bearing 56 of the latch boltframe 5. 1

When the door is open the roller latch 2 travels up face 1 1 of thetrackway on the post 1 pushing the bolt inwardly until it passes overthe apex or juncture-of the two faces 13 and 1 1, it being understoodthat so soon as the roller passes the said point the tension 6 now tendsto force the roller 13 of the post and assists the door to swing to theopen position.

W hen the door is closed the pressure of the latch bolt, as beforestated, tends to push the latch roller 2 inwardly or down the face 14 ofthe post which pressure is transferred to the door and holds it tightlyagainst the door jamb.

From the foregoing description taken in connection withthe drawings thecomplete advantages of this invention will be readily apparent to thosefamiliar with the use of door latch devices together with the generalcharacter to which this invention relates.

While the action of the locking of the latch bolt is automatic, thearrangement of the latch bolt and bolt devices are such that they tendto constantly clamp the door edge to a tight closure against the doorjamb. The door can'be conveniently pulled open without the necessity ofmanipulating the latch devices, which devices are always in adjustmentfor automatically effecting the latching of the door when it closingposition.

What I claim is:

As a new article, a door latch of the character stated comprising aframe adapted for being attached to a door edge, the said frameincluding a pair of outwardly extending brackets, one at the inner andthe other at the outer end of the frame, the inner bracket having anaperture, the bracket at the outer end having an elongated slot, a latchbolt including a shank that slidably en gages theapertured bracket and anon-circular bifurcated head that constantly rides within thenon-circular slot in the outer bracket, a roller bearing mounted withinthe bifurcations of the bolt head, a coil spring disposed upon the bolt,one end thereof engaging the inner end of the bolt head, the other endengaging an inner bracket of the latch frame, the said spring tending tonormally thrust the bolt, with its roller bearing, beyond the edge ofthe door to which the latch may be attached, and a latchpost, the saidpost having a base portion to adapt it for attachment to the door frameor jamb,

the said post having an outer bearing sur-- face inwardly beveledrelatively to the door frame and adapted for being engaged by the latchbearing roller as the door is closed to thereby push the latch bolt backand store tension in the spring, the said post having another bearingsurface that is inwardly beveled relatively to the door jamb and whoseouter end. merges with the inner end of the other beveled surfacewhereby to receive the bearing roller of the latch bolt and auto,-matically swing the door with the bolt inwardly under tension of thespring to thereby cause the door to close tightly the door frame orainb.

M. W. FISCHER.

against is swung to its

